Peace and Justice Studies

The MSU Peace and Justice Studies program is an interdisiciplinary specialization that addresses the areas of human rights, environmental justice, economic justice, political violence and sovereignty, social movements, activism, and non-violence. Courses are offered through many colleges and students from many majors can emphasize Peace and Justice issues in their program selection. MSU launched the Peace and Justice Studies Program in 2000. From its humble beginning it has grown to a program with 200 students and more than 20 faculty from across the university

Using This Guide

This guide is an attempt to assist users in finding the most relevant and highest quality information for understanding the issues at the heart of peace and justice. It is by no means comprehensive. Rather than include long lists of possible sources I have picked out a small handful of useful sources to begin the research process in this very interdisciplinary field of inquiry. I encourage users to contact myself or any reference librarian for further guidance in seeking information for your specific needs.

SearchPlus

Don't know where to start? Beginning in the Fall Semester 2014, the MSU Libraries is offering a discovery layer or interface called SearchPlus. SearchPlus pulls together a large number of databases (including the Library Catalog) into a unified search engine, increasing one's chances of finding results by keyword or phrase. Whenever possible, links are provided directly to the online source identified.

So this is a great tool for undergraduates not knowing where to start. It is also a good starting point for graduate students and faculty looking for materials outside their established silos. Once you do a search; note how SearchPlus offers a large number of facets on the left side to refine your search.

SearchPlus is a starting tool. Advanced researchers will still want to explore more deeply in specialized databases, particularly those that are not covered by SearchPlus.

Finding Articles

Peace Research Abstracts (EBSCO) . Bibliographic records covering essential areas related to peace research, including conflict resolution, international affairs, peace psychology, and more. Titles like Journal of Peace Research, Journal of Conflict Resolution and International Journal of Refugee Law are all found in the database. EBSCO has digitized the full archive of this index, with coverage dating as far back as 1964, and also updates the content on a weekly basis to incorporate the latest research.

Political Science Complete. Provides full text for over 500 publications, and cover-to-cover indexing and abstracts for more than 1995 journals. The database also features more than 189 full-text reference books and monographs, and over 27,000 full text conference papers, including those of the International Political Science Association.

Columbia International Affairs Online (CIAO). Indexes and selectively publishes post-1990 scholarship and reports on international affairs. Provides full-text access to relevant Columbia University Press titles and many recent journals, papers from university research institutes and non-governmental organizations, foundation-funded research projects, and conference proceedings. CIAO also has links to international affairs centers, institutes, and other resources; U.S., international, and foreign govenment sites; environmental studies web pages; and news media services.

PolicyFile - A unique resource for U.S. public policy research. Users are able to access timely, updated information from over 350 public policy think tanks, nongovernmental organizations, research institutes, university centers, advocacy groups, and other entities. Coverage: 1990 to date.

Subject Guide

MSU Resources

The MSU Libraries house about 7 million items with additional electronic access to countless more material through subscriptions and collaborations with other libraries. The chief entry into this wealth of information is through our CATALOG. You can limit your search by type of material, eg. films, digital files, printed material, etc.; location; publication date, or language. Retrieving the most relevant material requires utilizing keywords effectively. If you are not having success, or if you believe you could be missing important material, please contact a librarian for assistance.